Lantana plant named ‘Monike’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lantana  plant named ‘Monike’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; uniformly mounded plant form; freely branching habit and short internodes; dense and bushy form; freely and continuously flowering habit; and flowers that are initially yellow and become orange and eventually red purple in color with development.

Botanical designation: Lantana camara.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Monike’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lantanaplant, botanically known as Lantana camara, and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar name Monike.

The new Lantana originated from a chance cross-pollination of theLantana camara cultivar Moni, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 1,478, asthe female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Lantana camara,as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Lantana was selected as a singleflowering plant from the resulting progeny of the chancecross-pollination by the Inventor in a controlled environment inAltadena, Calif. in the summer of 1994.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Azusa, Calif., since the spring of 2002 hasshown that the unique features of this new Lantana are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Monike have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and culture such as temperature and lightintensity, without however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Monike’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Monike’ as a new and distinct Lantana cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit;        uniformly mounded plant form.    -   2. Freely branching habit and short internodes; dense and bushy        form.    -   3. Freely and continuously flowering habit.    -   4. Flowers that are initially yellow and become orange and        eventually red purple in color with development.

Plants of the new Lantana can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, the cultivar Moni. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inAzusa, Calif., plants of the new Lantana differed from plants of thecultivar Moni in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana were more compact than plants of        the cultivar Moni.    -   2. Plants of the new Lantana and the cultivar Moni differed in        leaf shape as plants of the cultivar Moni had ovate-shaped        leaves.    -   3. Plants of the new Lantana and the cultivar Moni differed        slightly in leaf coloration.    -   4. Plants of the new Lantana were more freely flowering than        plants of the cultivar Moni.    -   5. Plants of the new Lantana and the cultivar Moni differed in        flower coloration.

Plants of the new Lantana can also be compared to plants of the cultivarRobcomplan, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,837. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Azusa, Calif., plants of the new Lantanadiffered from plants of the cultivar Robcomplan in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana were larger and more vigorous than        plants of the cultivar Robcomplan.    -   2. Plants of the new Lantana and the cultivar Robcomplan        differed in leaf shape as plants of the cultivar Robcomplan had        ovate-shaped leaves.    -   3. Plants of the new Lantana had larger leaves than plants of        the cultivar Robcomplan.    -   4. Plants of the new Lantana and the cultivar Robcomplan        differed in flower coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Lantana.

The photograph at the bottom of sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Monike’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a close-up view of atypical inflorescence and leaves of ‘Monike’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for theaforementioned photographs and following description were grown inone-gallon containers in an outdoor nursery for about one year in Azusa,Calif. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged fromabout 24° C. to about 29° C. and night temperatures ranged from about 4°C. to about 12° C.

-   Botanical classification: Lantana camara cultivar Monike.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Lantana camara cultivar Moni,            disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 1,478.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Lantana            camara, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About two weeks.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About three months.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; initially glaucous white in            color then becoming closer to tan with development.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Flowering subshrub; upright and outwardly spreading            plant habit; uniformly mounded plant form; compact growth            habit. Freely branching; about five primary lateral branches            each with lateral branches potentially forming at every            node. Moderately vigorous.        -   Plant height.—About 17 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 30 cm by 48 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 22 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.            Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong, but            flexible. Texture: Rough, pubescent. Color: Young: Close to            146D. Woody: Close to 199A to 199B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite; simple. Length:            About 5.5 cm. Width: About 3.7 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex:            Acuminate. Base: Acute to attenuate. Margin: Serrate.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Leathery, rough, coarse;            pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate, reticulate.            Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: Close to 146A.            Developing foliage, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully            expanded foliage, upper surface: Close to 147A. Fully            expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B. Venation,            upper surface: Close to 146B. Venation, lower surface: Close            to 147C. Petiole length: About 1.6 cm. Petiole diameter:            About 2 mm. Petiole texture, both surfaces: Pubescent.            Petiole color, upper surface: Close to 146B. Petiole color,            lower surface: Close to 146D.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Small salverform flowers arranged in            axillary umbels; flowers face mostly upward or outward.            Flowers self-cleaning. Very freely flowering with            potentially two inflorescences per node; typically about 24            flowers per umbel.        -   Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn;            flowering continuous.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About one week.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 3.7 cm.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused,            four-parted; flowers roughly rectangular in shape. Diameter:            About 9 mm by 11 mm. Corolla tube length: About 1.7 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Shape: Elongated. Color: Close to 180A.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of four            petals, fused into flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:            Upper and lower petals: About 5 mm. Lateral petals: About            4 mm. Petal width: Upper and lower petals: About 6 mm.            Lateral petals: About 5 mm. Petal shape: Spatulate to            somewhat orbicular. Petal apex: Rounded, emarginate. Petal            margin: Slightly serrate. Petal lobe texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, velvety. Corolla throat and tube            texture: Pubescent. Color: Petal lobes, when opening, upper            surface: Close to 12B. Petal lobes, when opening, lower            surface: Close to 12C to 12D. Petal lobes, fully opened,            upper surface: Close to 21B becoming closer to 34C with            development, eventually becoming close to 53B. Petals lobes,            fully opened, lower surface: Close to 16C becoming closer to            32D with development. Throat: Close to 12B. Tube: Close to            52B.        -   Calyx.—Length: About 2.5 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape:            Tubular. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Texture, upper and lower            surface: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces:            Close to 145A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.5 cm to 3 cm. Diameter: About            1.5 mm. Angle: About 45° from the stem. Strength: Flexible,            but strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146B.        -   Pedicels.—Not observed, flowers not stalked.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Four per            flower, adnate to floral tube. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther            length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 13B. Pollen            amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 13B. Pistils:            Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 4 mm. Stigma            shape: Rounded. Stigma color: Close to 1A. Style length:            About 2.5 mm. Style color: Close to 1C. Ovary color: Close            to 144A to 144B.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Lantana grown in the    garden have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests    common to Lantana.-   Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Lantana have been observed to    be very tolerant to rain and wind.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Lantana have been observed    to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 0° C. to 38° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lantana plant named ‘Monike’, asillustrated and described.